 When they tried to re-enter what had been the main camp for the battalion, they found it occupied by the Boers.Although they attempted to escape, the Boer commandos soon caught up with the two companies and, after a fight, forced them to surrender.Despite losing almost a third of its strength, once Lord Robert's operations began to succeed, the Boer reaction allowed the 12th Brigade, and the 2nd Wilts, to go back on the offensive against the Boer Republics.